Sandwell’s Three MPs: London Living, Landlords, Lobbyists & The Skidder Files – A Foundation Document for Accountability
A deep dive into Antonia Bance, Sarah Coombes and Gurinder Singh Josan – their homes, donors, voting habits, and what the Sandwell Skidder has been shouting from the rooftops.
Sandwell Council, MPs, Antonia Bance, Sarah Coombes, Gurinder Singh Josan, Governance, Accountability, Labour Party, Sandwell Skidder, Political Analysis, FOI, Oversight
SANDWELL’S THREE MPS: A FOUNDATION FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
Sandwell now has three shiny, well-packaged Labour MPs representing three of the most deprived areas in the country. What we don’t have is clarity about where they live, who funds them, and what they actually do for the people trapped between Tipton’s housing failures, West Bromwich’s broken systems, and Smethwick’s endless governance sagas.
This post brings every thread into one place: residency, money, voting records, transparency, and a special “Skidder Says” section for those who enjoy Sandwell’s longest-running political soap opera.
So let’s begin.
1. ANTONIA BANCE MP – TIPTON, WEDNESBURY & COSELEY
1.1 Where does she actually live?
Short answer: not here.
There is no public evidence that Antonia Bance lives in Sandwell, Dudley or anywhere inside the constituency.
Her only confirmed base is a constituency office in Wednesbury — an office, not a home.
Her only known “home” reference comes from a foreign-language bio placing her in Bexley, London.
No local property.
No local tenancy.
No trace.
A London-based MP parachuted into the Black Country? Absolutely.
1.2 Register of Interests
She owns no property in Sandwell or anywhere else in the Midlands.
She claims London accommodation expenses, as expected for an MP who actually lives in London.
No rental income, no land interests, nothing locally rooted.
1.3 Voting record
A perfect demonstration of Labour whip loyalty:
Voted for the Border Security Bill
Voted against an elected House of Lords (because who needs democracy?)
Voted for nationalising teacher pay for academies
Voted against assisted dying
Voted for tenants’ rights (though she’s said nothing about Sandwell’s housing failures)
Not a single sign of independence or Sandwell-first thinking.
1.4 Local accountability
She has never publicly challenged:
Sandwell Council governance failures
FOI culture
Safeguarding scandals
Housing failures
Commissioner interventions
Audit suppression
Planning controversies
She keeps her head down and her mouth shut.
Sandwell gets silence; Westminster gets obedience.
2. SARAH COOMBES MP – WEST BROMWICH
2.1 Where does she live?
Official line: “lives in West Bromwich.”
Evidence: none although heresay of rental in West Bromwich.
What is verifiable:
She owns a London flat from which she earned rental income until late 2025.
She owns no property in West Bromwich or Sandwell.
So yes, another London landlord representing one of the poorest towns in Britain.
2.2 Donations, lobbyists and influence networks
Her campaign was showered with money:
Big-ticket individual donors
Union money
Arden Strategies-linked fundraising
Private healthcare-related donations flagged by EveryDoctor
Nothing illegal. Everything political.
A picture emerges: highly funded, highly influenced, newly installed.
2.3 Voting record – where it bites
Against the backdrop of West Bromwich’s poverty:
Voted to means-test winter fuel payments
Voted for bank surveillance of welfare claimants
Voted for cuts to disability payment structures
Voted for the Border Security Bill
Voted for assisted dying
Perfect score for Labour HQ; terrible for local pensioners, disabled residents and low-income families.
2.4 Hospitality & freebies
She has declared:
Wimbledon hospitality
BRIT Awards hospitality
An overseas trip to Jordan
Lovely treats.
Meanwhile, West Bromwich residents are lucky to afford the bus.
3. GURINDER SINGH JOSAN MP – SMETHWICK
3.1 Local roots – and local holdings
Unlike the others, Josan is from here — Smethwick born and raised.
But he also happens to be one of the largest landlords in Parliament, owning:
Multiple residential properties
Commercial holdings
His own property company (Josan Estates Ltd)
A fascinating combination when representing a borough with catastrophic housing issues.
3.2 Policing & governance background
Historically:
Member of the West Midlands Strategic Policing & Crime Board
Not on any local IAG although this is being disputed as is his influence on the independent nature of the group.
Extensive governance roles (NEC, academy trusts, HOPE not Hate)
Currently:
No public evidence he still holds any policing governance role.
3.3 Voting record
Predictably Loyalist:
Strong law-and-order rhetoric
No whip rebellions
Watch closely when the Renters Reform agenda arrives — landlord MPs often grow strangely quiet.
3.4 THE SKIDDER SAYS – Allegations, Claims & Colourful Commentary
This section summarises what The Sandwell Skidder has published over the years.
These are allegations, not established facts.
But they are widely read and politically influential around Sandwell.
A. Spellar & Watson’s “fixer”
Skidder routinely describes Josan as the long-serving fixer for John Spellar and Tom Watson — a loyal enforcer for the old Warley machine.
B. The 2017 ‘dossier politics’
According to Skidder:
Josan met him privately
Provided documents targeting Cllr Mahboob Hussain
Was part of a coordinated factional operation
The infamous 72-page dossier still hangs over local Labour history.
C. The ‘Sikh candidate bloc’ story
Skidder alleges Josan and others orchestrated a slate of Sikh Labour candidates, framing it as a “takeover.”
Highly contested, but it appears repeatedly on the blog.
D. The Rajbir Singh leadership saga
Skidder claims:
Starmer, Spellar and Josan helped install Rajbir Singh as council leader
Singh was a “puppet” for unelected figures behind the scenes
One of Sandwell’s shortest-lived leadership episodes, but Skidder insists Josan was integral to it.
E. Chance Glass & A1 Skip Hire
This is one of Skidder’s enduring themes:
He alleges “murky” connections between Josan and operators at the Chance Glass site
Claims personal involvement in skip-site disputes
Describes land deals and support as “deeply questionable”
No documentary evidence published — but this line has been consistent for years.
F. Defending Sandwell Labour
Skidder reports that Josan pushed the narrative that commissioners and interventions were “just Tory politics.”
A line inconsistent with official reports documenting catastrophic governance failings.
4. CROSS-MP ANALYSIS
Category Bance Coombes Josan
Lives locally? No evidence No evidence Yes (background)
Owns local property? No No Yes – lots
Donor/lobby links Limited Significant Moderate/unclear
Voting independence 0% 0% 0%
Governance interventions None None None
Major vulnerabilities Residency, silence London landlord, donors, votes Landlordism, Skidder allegations
5. WHAT SANDWELL DESERVES TO ASK
Where do our MPs actually live?
Whose interests do they represent?
Why are none of them publicly challenging Sandwell’s broken systems?
How have three MPs delivered no local governance accountability whatsoever?
Why do external blogs like Skidder do more investigative work on Sandwell than our elected representatives?
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